THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1897.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10424, 23 April 1897, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDA Y, APRIL 23, 1897.

Though the tide of battle ebbs and flows on the frontiers of Greece and Turkey it seems only too evident that fate is closing in around the brave little Kingdom that had dared to refuse the bidding of the great Powers of Europe and thrown itself impetuously against the powerful strength of Turkey, The Government has itself admitted that the State is in danger, and has called on every citizen to rise for the defence of the country. With a spirit worthy of the days of old, the Greeks have defended the passes among their hills with desperation, but the Turkish army is rolling onward, and apparently on the eve of occupying Larissa, in the heart of Thessaly. Still it is to be remembered that every mile advanced is taking the Turkish forces further from the base of supplies, for as the Greek navy seems to be master of the seae, and likely to continue go, from the admitted inefficiency of the Turkish ships sent Against it, all the reliefs to the Turkish forces must traverse the great stretch of territory in Greece •nd Macedonia, and penetrate the defiles of a very mountainous territory in Greece, subject to the vicissitudes of insurrectionary movements among the Macedonian population and guerilla attacks from Greek mountaineers. With the Greek navy in possession of the two great inlets, the Gulfs of Vola and Art* on the east and west, and u determined people fighting for the existence of their country in front, the further advance of the Turkish army must be attended with difficulty and risk; and it may be that Turkey may feel it to be wise strategy to strengthen her position in holding Thessaly, and to leave tlio little State to beat out its life in trying to dislodge her. The possession of tint large province situated as it is in a com. mending position to check Grecian pretensions in respect of the valuable port of Salouica, and giving a scientific frontier to the dominions of the Sultan in that quarter, might be regarded by Turkey us sufficient recompense for the costs of the campaign. It would be in accordance, too, with the attitude which Turkey has hitherto assumed, in professing not to invite war, if she rested there content with her successes and calculated on the Great Powere allowing her to hold the territory, as a, reasonable indemnity for the aggressiveness of Greece. \

But the most striking thing in the present situation is the inaction of those Powers themselves up to the time of the actual outbreak of hostilities on the mainland, the concert of the Powers, aud their movements and intentions were constantly in evidence. The operations of the warships around the . coasts of Crete, the landing of (he troops, the occupation of cities and districts, in the island, the intervention, between the Moslems and the Christians, and last of all the 'contemplated blockade of the port of Athens, were i all full of action, and, seemed with critical events. All this activity seems stricken with paralysis, and with : the first ' guns ; tirefl on , the Qreco-Tutkish frontier all the operations of the Power? seem suspended, ■' What is the meaning of i it! ■ and what i are the objects in ! view in this ) sudden suspension of

aotivityl Wβ ere not to suppose that the Great Powers in concert have ceased to take an interest in the evolution of events that lisa arisen ont of the situation created hy the Cretan question, or that they are indifferent to the results. On the contrary, we feel assured that the diplomats who have been guiding the concerted operations of the Powers are watohing with the keenest interest the , progress of the struggle, with the conviction that until it is fought out, intervention would only mar the solution of tTie difficulty, if Greece is beaten hack, as the omens seem to indicate, and she is obliged to sue for peace, she will at once in their eyes be punished for her disobedience and be more amenable to persuasion. With Turkey in this Cretan trouble the Powers have not had any difficulty in dealing. A consciousness of being absolutely in the hands of the Powers, and a conviction that they would settle the trouble in some way not inconsistent with the dignity of the Empire, have induced a singular amount of forbearance and self-restraint on the part of the Porte, and now that Greece has carried her bellicose attitude into actual

aggression, the Powers doubtless feel that Turkey is exactly doing their work in reduoing Greece to submission. They havo not left to Greece even the solace in lior defeat of being able to say that the Powers had handicapped her in the conflict, for the intended blockade of Piraeus lias been withheld, and the Greek navy has been left as free as the land forces to try conclusions with the ancient enemy. If she is defeated it cannot be said that they were contributory in any way to that defeat. It is not at all likely that they would allow discomfiture to be carried to the length of complete subjugation, or tolerate the restoration of Greece to Moslem rule. But that State having

feken the law into its own hands, and reiused the good offices of the Powers in the settlement of the Cretan question, must be prepared to come as a suppliant aud accept such terms as the Powers may be disposed to submit. With Turkey, probably, no difficulty is anticipated, and having shown herself amenable to the will of the Powers iri concert, she may be expected to accept the terms of settlement as arranged. The defeat, therefore, of the Greeks, if they are defeated, will be conducive to the carrying-out of the scheme which the Powers had concerted for maintaining the integrity of the Turkish Empire, unci at the same time preserviug the peace of Europe.

This, no doubt, is the explanation of the acquiescent attitude of the Great Powers in the face of this apparent rupture of their plans for the peaceful solution of the Cretan question, and the coercion which they had threatened, and no doubt might have carried out on

Greece, they have left to be applied by Turkey herself. In some respects this no doubt provides an escape from some of the difficulties that might have arisen even among the Powers themselves iu the execution of their plan of

campaign. It was no secret that the British, French, and Italian Govern-

ments felt embarrassed in the application of the scheme, of coercion, by the strong body of public opinion in those three countries respectively, which was adverse to the extreme use of force against Greece. The blockade of Greece principally by the fleets of the three greatest naval Towers would have been exceedingly distasteful at home, and might even have led to an explosion oi popular feeling that would have paralysed the policy of the Powers acting in concert, The services of Turkey therefore in reducing the refractory spirit of Greece will be opportune and very acceptable to the Powers; and we may anticipate that they will in no way interfere, but simply content themselves with maintaining the good understanding among themselves, and witli watching the tight until the moment comes when they can intervene with efiect, and come oil masters of the situation.